2021 NCAC Volleyball Tournament Champions
Wittenberg
| Hosted by Denison |
| Friday, November 5 (All matches @ Denison) |
Saturday, November 6 (All matches @ Denison) |
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Friday, November 5 - First-Round Matches
Match A - #5 Wooster 3, #8 Oberlin 0 (Box Score)
Match B - #6 DePauw 3, #7 Allegheny 0 (Box Score)
Friday, November 5 - Quarterfinals Matches
Match C - #5 Wooster 3, #4 Hiram 0 (Box Score)
Match D - #3 Ohio Wesleyan 3, #6 DePauw 0 (Box Score)
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Saturday, November 6 - Semifinal Matches
Match E - #5 Wooster 3, #1 Denison 1 (Box Score)
Match F - #2 Wittenberg 3, #3 Ohio Wesleyan 0 (Box Score)
Saturday, November 6 - Championship Match
Match G: #2 Wittenberg 3, #5 Wooster 0 (Box Score)
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| SPECTATOR POLICIES: All visitors to Denison's campus must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and should be prepared to show proof of vaccination to gain admission to all indoor athletics events. All campus visitors are required to wear masks indoors at all times unless eating and drinking. Children under the age of 12 will be admitted without proof of vaccination provided they wear a mask at all times. Denison spectator policy HERE. For those that cannot attend, you can watch all matches online HERE. |
| Tournament Merchandise -- Tournament Bracket -- History -- Tournament Stats -- Tickets -- Directions |
CHAMPIONSHIP:
Second-Seeded Wittenberg captured its 25th NCAC Volleyball Tournament Title on Saturday, Nov. 6, with a 3-0 victory (25-19, 25-20, 25-10) over fifth-seeded Wooster in the championship final.
As tournament champions, the Tigers receive the NCAC's automatic bid into the 2021 NCAA Division III Volleyball Tournament. Wittenberg will make its 25th-straight appearance in the national tournament. The entire bracket will be revealed on Monday, Nov. 8, at 12:30 p.m. on NCAA.com via the selection show.
In the championship match, the Tigers were led by senior Katie Hiestand (Canton, OH/St. Thomas Aquinas) who recorded 11 kills, 14 digs, one block and one assist. For her efforts throughout the tournament, Hiestand was named the NCAC Tournament MVP. Sophomore Tyler Linkhart (Yellow Spring, OH/Yellow Springs) and senior Gabi Hancock (Vincennes, IN/Vincennes Rivet) were also named to the all-tournament team for the Tigers. Linkhart tallied eight kills, four digs and three blocks, while Hancock posted four kills, four blocks and two digs in the championship match. Junior Hannah Schartz (Springfield, OH/Shawnee) also produced for Wittenberg in the title match, putting up 10 kills, three blocks and two digs.
Wooster junior Sydney Fitzcharles (Twinsburg, OH/Beaumont School) and senior Seven Townsel (Oberlin, OH/Lorain) earned all-tournament honors for their performances. In the championship match, Fitzcharles recorded 14 digs and two assists, while Townsel tallied nine digs, six kills and one assist. Junior Hayley Nash (Peoria, AZ/Xavier College Prep.) put up 10 kills, seven digs, two assists and two aces in the finale for Wooster.
The two other members of the NCAC All-Tournament team were also revealed at the conclusion of the tournament, as Denison junior Jenna Corrao (Solon, OH/Solon) and Ohio Wesleyan sophomore Melissa Murray (Chardon, OH/Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin) were selected for their efforts.
All-Tournament Team
Jenna Corrao, Denison
Melissa Murray, Ohio Wesleyan
Sydney Fitzcharles, Wooster
Seven Townsel, Wooster
Tyler Linkhart, Wittenberg
Gabi Hancock, Wittenberg
MVP - Katie Hiestand, Wittenberg
SEMIFINALS:
Second-seeded Wittenberg and fifth-seeded Wooster will compete for the 2021 NCAC Volleyball Tournament Title at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 6, after claiming victories in the semifinal round earlier in the day.
The Fighting Scots claimed a 3-1 upset victory over top-seeded Denison with set scores of 28-26, 25-19, 19-25 and 26-24, while the Wittenberg Tigers defeated three-seeded Ohio Wesleyan in three sets, winning 25-22, 25-16 and 25-18.
Wooster will look to capture its second title after last winning in 1984, while Wittenberg seeks its 25th overall tournament crown. The winner will earn the NCAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament.
FIRST ROUND & QUARTERFINALS:
Third-seeded Ohio Wesleyan and fifth-seeded Wooster advanced to the semifinal round of the 2021 NCAC Volleyball Tournament and will face second-seeded Wittenberg and top-seeded Denison, respectively. The winners of those two matches will meet in the finals for the NCAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III tournament.
To start the day in the first round, fifth-seeded Wooster defeated eighth-seeded Oberlin 3-0 (25-17, 25-13, 25-21), while sixth-seeded DePauw claimed a 3-0 win (25-23, 25-17, 25-23) over seventh-seeded Allegheny.
In the quarterfinals, Wooster and Ohio Wesleyan both claimed victories to eliminate Hiram and DePauw from the tournament. The Fighting Scots won 3-0 (25-23, 25-12, 25-12) over the Terriers, while the Battling Bishops defeated the Tigers 3-0 (25-21, 25-14, 28-26) to move on to the semifinals.
The Denison vs. Wooster semifinal is set for 12:00 p.m., while the Wittenberg vs. Ohio Wesleyan semifinal will follow at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday. The winners will meet in the finals which are set for 7:00 p.m.
SEEDINGS & PAIRINGS:
Denison has won its first North Coast Athletic Conference volleyball championship after finishing the season with a perfect 8-0 mark against league opponents.
Wittenberg leads the NCAC with 25 conference titles, while Allegheny is second all-time with five. Hiram, Kenyon and Ohio Wesleyan have each accumulated two titles and Wooster earned the inaugural conference championship in 1984.
Wittenberg (7-1) finished second in the regular season standings, while Hiram and Ohio Wesleyan tied for third (5-3) and were followed by Wooster (4-4), DePauw (3-5), Allegheny and Oberlin (2-6) and Kenyon (0-8).
As league champions, Denison has earned the No. 1 seed and hosting rights for the 2021 NCAC Volleyball Tournament for the first time. The two-day, seven-match, single-elimination tournament will be held at Livingston Gymnasium in Granville, Ohio, November 5-6.
In the first-round matches on Friday afternoon, Match A will feature No. 5 Wooster and No. 8 Oberlin at 2:00 p.m., while Match B will be a contest between No. 6 DePauw and No. 7 Allegheny at 4:00 p.m. In the quarterfinal matches on Friday night, Match C will feature No. 4 Hiram against the Wooster/Oberlin winner at 6:00 p.m., and Match D will pit No. 3 Ohio Wesleyan against the DePauw/Allegheny winner at 8:00 p.m. Additionally on Friday, the NCAC Senior Recognition Ceremony and the announcement of the 2021 All-NCAC Teams will take place immediately following the 4:00 p.m. match.
On Saturday, two semifinal matches will be contested, as No. 1 Denison will meet the winner of Match C at 12:00 p.m. and No. 2 Wittenberg will square off against the winner of Match D at 2:00 p.m. The championship match is set for 7:00 p.m.
SPECTATOR POLICIES: All visitors to Denison's campus must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and should be prepared to show proof of vaccination to gain admission to all indoor athletics events. All campus visitors are required to wear masks indoors at all times unless eating and drinking. Children under the age of 12 will be admitted without proof of vaccination provided they wear a mask at all times. Denison spectator policy HERE. For those that cannot attend, you can watch all matches online HERE.
TOURNEY NOTES: The tournament winner receives the NCAC's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament ... DePauw is the reigning champion after capturing the program's first NCAC Tournament title in 2019 … Wittenberg has won the most NCAC tournaments overall with 24 including 12-straight between 2007-2018, while Allegheny follows the Tigers with five tourney championships (1985, 1988-91). Kenyon (1986-87) and Ohio Wesleyan (1994, '96) each hold a pair of titles, while Hiram won the title in 2006 and Wooster earned the inaugural tournament championship in 1984 ... DePauw maneuvered its way through the tournament bracket two years ago as the No. 4 seed by knocking off Hiram, 3-2, in the quarterfinals, top-seeded Wittenberg, 3-0, in the semifinals, and No. 2 seed Denison, 3-1, in the championship match.